1) Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a new structure for digital cards, which are equipped with double-sided contacts and an electronic write-protection.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Digital cards, also known as smart cards or memory cards, form the newest generation of data storage media. Their features include their small size, a high storage volume and a fast transfer speed. These cards are therefore the ideal choice as storage and transport media for multimedia data.
For the structure of conventional digital cards, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A. The digital card 10 comprises a main body 11, with said main body 11 equipped with a number of contacts attached to one side. To prevent the digital card 10 from overwriting data by mistake, the main body possesses a write-protection switch 20 made of plastic. This write-protection switch 20 uses a card hook 21 to hook up to an edge formed in an grove 13 of the main body 11. The write-protection switch 20 can be moved on an elevation 15 inside of the grove 13. The write protected or write enabled state of the digital card 10 is determined by the position of the write-protection switch 20.
Conventional digital cards have two weaknesses:
The contacts 12 are only attached to one side, therefore the amount of data which can be transferred is restricted, and the digital card is unable to use its full potential.
The write-protection switch 20 is made of plastic and will lose quality after long use, resulting in malfunctions of the card.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a structure for digital cards, which comprises a main body, to which contacts are attached on both sides, and which furthermore possesses an electronic write-protection, wherein the contacts on both sides are used to raise the transfer efficiency, while the write-protection provides for a more secure possibility to define the card as write protected or write enabled.
FIG. 1 shows a full display of a conventional digital card.
FIG. 1A shows a display of the part labeled Axe2x80x94A in FIG. 1.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show three-dimensional displays of both sides of one practical example for the present invention.
FIG. 3A shows another three-dimensional display of one practical example for the present invention.
FIG. 3B shows a three-dimensional display for the parts on the back side of the practical example shown in FIG. 3A.
FIG. 4 shows a full display of the practical example shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 4A shows a display of the part labeled Axe2x80x94A in FIG. 4.
FIG. 4B shows a display of the part labeled Bxe2x80x94B in FIG. 4.
FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show three-dimensional displays of both sides of another practical example for the present invention.